Category: Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sanji and Nami

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Nami stood in one of the expansive suite rooms that made up the large bulk of Bege's Devil Fruit castle fortress, her hands resting on the stone windowsill as she stared out of the towering glass window. Outside, the sky was a brilliant blue, with a few fluffy white clouds trailing idly by. To any normal person, watching the little fluffy ships sail across the calm blue expanse of sea above would probably provide some measure of peace, or relief; Nami just found it painfully ironic. The serene sky gave no hint of the coming storm.

During the meeting with Bege, they plotted the downfall of the relentless and ruthless Big Mom. It was a rather straightforward plan: the sham wedding would proceed, and at the instant that Pudding was to deliver Sanji a swift end, the attack plan would commence and hopefully they could dispatch Big Mom before she ever realized what was happening. It was a dangerous, risky plan for sure, all hinging on Sanji's ability to keep his cool during the wedding and good old-fashioned timing.

The entire idea of it made Nami sick to her stomach.

She glanced over her shoulder as she heard the vaulted wooden door open. She bit down on her lip as she felt her heart constrict in pain, but she quickly erased any evidence of emotion from her expression as Sanji closed the door behind him and looked up at her with that wide, goofy smile of his. Is he not worried? She thought as she turned her head and resumed gazing out of the window, struggling to contain her pervading sadness.

"Nami? You're not still mad at me, are you?" the cook asked with a wan sigh, but Nami shook her head in answer. The anger had dissipated after their passionate kiss in the hallway prior to the meeting with their new ally. She heard him mumble in confusion before his footsteps softly approached, but she cast her eyes to the stonework on the windowsill, inspecting the chips in in the stone and its coloration in an effort to keep from falling completely apart. Why is the world so cruel? A breath caught in her throat as he gently rested a hand on her elbow. "Nami. Look at me," he said firmly, but as he turned her body she turned her head, refusing to look at him.

She couldn't bear to. They had gone through so much, sacrificed so much, to get this man back, and as soon as everything had finally become right again and Sanji had even kissed her, she had to watch him walk towards probable death? She had to watch him stand at the altar with that other woman, who desired nothing more than to murder him in cold blood? No. She could not. Despite her best efforts to hide them, the tears began to spill from her eyes. She thought she had cried enough earlier, but apparently she still had plenty to shed. "Nami," Sanji insisted, his voice greatly pained. "Why won't you look at me?"

"I can't watch you go," she admitted with a small voice thick with emotion. "What if something goes wrong, Sanji?" she whispered frightfully. The murder plot had terrified her before, but knowing that Sanji was still walking straight into it was even worse. She felt his hand shift from her elbow to underneath her chin, and this time she allowed him to make her look at him. With a gentle touch, he turned her face to look at him. He was frowning deeply down at her.

"Nami. Nothing will go wrong," he murmured. The confidence in his tone did little to quell her fears. "Do you really think I will allow Pudding to murder me?" At the mention of the treacherous girl's name, a flutter of doubt burned in Nami's belly. The feeling of Sanji's kiss resurfaced on her lips, but now that she had had time to think clearly, had that really meant as much as she thought it had? After all, he has simply turned and walked away with that nonchalant air about him, as if kissing her was as natural as any other action. Had the intense passion and love she had felt really been reciprocated? Or was the affection one-sided after all? The doubt must have made its way onto his face, because frown lines etched their way further in Sanji's own. "You still don't trust me," he remarked, the disappointment clear in his tone. Guilt flashed through her, but she could not bring herself to deny it.

"I can't help it, Sanji," she sniffed as she reached up and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. How was it this man could reduce her to this, a sobbing, blubbering mess? He makes me so weak. "After all, she's so beautiful… So charming… It's just so hard to believe. It's no secret that you're fond of pretty women. How can I believe it when you tell me I'm the only one, when you do the things you do and say the things you say? How can I believe that when you're standing in front of her in that wedding dress, looking into her eyes supposedly pretending to love her, that you won't have doubts?" she asked him miserably. His face contorted with guilt, indicating that her harsh words had indeed struck a nerve.

"I suppose being a hopeless flirt is not helping my situation here," he groaned and ran a hand through his hair with an uncomfortable frown, looking up at the ceiling as he searched for the words to appease the emotional female. He glanced back down at her, and though she was upset, the way he smiled softly at her still made her heart grow wings and flutter hopelessly. "It's true. Pudding's beautiful," he admitted, and as her lips grew taut with displeasure, he hastily added, "but I don't care. I told you once, there is only one woman who holds my heart, and that is you." His hand rose to her cheek, caressing it softly. When she remained unconvinced, he smirked. "Fine. If I can't tell you, then I'll show you," he mused, and she gasped as he grabbed her chin firmly and jerked her face forward to pull her into a kiss.

The first kiss was nothing compared to this one. This time, there was no doubt left in her mind. As their lips moved in a rhythm, her heartbeat joined in, pounding furiously in her chest as the passion bubbled inside of her. Sanji's hand migrated to the back of her head, gently cupping it as he angled his head, while the other slid to the small of her back to pull their bodies together. Nami placed her hands on his chest, and she could feel his heartbeat too, thumping almost as fast as hers. Words unspoken passed between them like a raging current, and she knew then that everything he had said had been true. I'll never doubt again, she thought as her heart swelled with love for the dashing cook, and she found the strength to kiss him back with all the love and passion burning inside of her. Nami wasn't sure how much time passed, but when they finally broke apart, they were breathless. Sanji's mouth curled into a smug smirk. "Believe me now?"

"Yes," she sighed and slid her hands up his chest to wrap her arms loosely around his neck. "I want to hear you say it," she added as an afterthought, referring to the thing left unsaid. She stared up into his eyes through her lashes, a faint blush tainting her cheeks. "Just so there's no doubt at all." Sanji laughed heartily before leaning down to press his forehead against hers, smiling lovingly. Their lips were inches apart, and Nami had to squash the urge to kiss him once more.

"Fine. I love you, Nami," he murmured. His voice was a soft purr, alluring and sensual, and it set Nami's heart to fluttering again. "Even when I'm standing there, at that altar, with Pudding in front of me, it won't be any less true."

"It better be," she sniffed, her usual defiance finally beginning to return. "Else you'll be on the receiving end of some hurt." Sanji laughed at that, and angled his head to softly press his lips to hers once more. Though it was short, Nami savored the taste and the feeling, and grew sad when he pulled away.

"I have to go," he whispered with a tiny smile, but his voice betrayed a hint of sadness. It seemed he didn't want to go as much as Nami lamented him leaving.

"I love you," she whispered and closed her eyes as she hugged him tightly. Sanji hugged her back, sighing gently as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"Don't act like this is goodbye," he frowned and rubbed her back gently. "You'll see. I'll come out of all this safe and sound," he reassured her before pulling back and resting his hands on her shoulders. Again, he had that tone of confidence, and this time she willed herself to believe in him. Sanji will come back to me. At the end of all this, everything will be right again… We'll sail to meet Zoro and the others and will be one step closer to the end of our journey. She returned his smile, reluctantly letting him go.

"Okay. Go give them a performance they'll never forget," she told him and lightly punched him in the shoulder. He smirked at her and gave her one last peck on the cheek before turning on his heel and striding across the room, all business as he prepared for the showdown that would define if they all lived, or perished at the hands of the murderous Emperor. Nami watched with mixed feelings as the man she knew and loved exited the room, and a hand rose to her heart as it cringed with pain.

I'll believe in all of us, she told herself firmly. We've always managed to triumph no matter how high the odds were stacked against us.

I'll believe… in Sanji…